Reading Test 2 B1

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

_____ thought about leaving the Harry Potter series.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

_____ felt that (s)he and his/her character had a lot in common.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

_____ didn’t feel fashionable while acting in the series.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

As a teenager, ______ felt that other teens were different from him/her.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

______ felt ashamed because (s)he didn’t like being famous.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

______ is embarrassed by his/her lack of talent as a young actor.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

______ felt that his/her character’s personality took over his/her own.

Where are the Harry Potter Stars now?

The actors who played the children in the Harry Potter movies are now adults. So how have their early experiences shaped their lives?

Daniel Ratcliffe

Daniel Ratcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the eight films, has recently been reading memes featuring him in his famous role and has only just realized that many people considered him cool. At the time, he felt as insecure as anyone that age. The English actor says that although he now has a successful acting career, he always finds the early Harry Potter movies difficult to watch because he admits he wasn’t very good at acting. The young actors received coaching in singing and dancing on set, but never any acting training in all the time they were on set, so he feels his early films are very one-dimensional. It wasn’t until he met actor Gary Oldman on set in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that he began to understand how to approach a role. Daniel says he never particularly wanted an acting career but fell into the job. In fact, in an early interview, Daniel told viewers that he wanted to be a professional wrestler!

Rupert Grint

Rupert Grint, who played Harry’s friend Ron Weasley, found being a famous actor very isolating as a child and teenager. Being around adults so much, he felt very strange when returning to his peers to do exams, as he thought he had little in common with them. After filming the fourth film in the series, he even considered quitting the series, as it was “a bit of a drag”. Rupert also found being well-known a big sacrifice and even scary. He was instantly recognizable whenever he went out, and people he didn’t know took photos of him. The young actor says he disliked being known as Ron Weasley and nothing else. But he has got used to the attention, and, despite these negative aspects, says that the Harry Potter films were an amazing part of his life which he is proud to be a part of.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the series, always felt a great connection to her character, as both were perfect students and neither were very cool. She admits to having become rather obsessed with her character to the extent that she could not separate her own identity from hers. Watson feels that she has missed out on her own teenage years as she was “being Hermione” all that time. Since the series ended, Emma has been able to focus more on herself. She continued her studies, getting top grades, in case her acting career didn’t work out, but has gone on to star in a number of films. No longer seeking blockbuster films, she chooses smaller, high-quality films that mean something to her personally. She has also become a well-respected ambassador for women’s rights. Despite her success, Emma has had to undergo a lot of therapy due to her fame. As a teenager, she often felt that her life as Hermione was so “big” that she lost her own identity. She also feels guilty for not enjoying the fame and attention that she has received. However, by focusing on her family and home life, she has managed to form an identity for herself beyond Hermione.

______ considered education as important as acting.

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

According to the article, The British Homes Awards challenged architects to design a house …

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

According to the article, in the winning property, bedrooms are downstairs to …

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

According to the article, the parking spaces in this house design are …

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

According to the article, in the SunnySideUp house the ground floor ...

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

We learn from the article that …

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

According to the article, the house has been designed …

Welcome to the home of the future

The 2009 British Homes Awards challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to different life stages.
The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could continue to enjoy shared amenities.
The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the competition was put to the public vote.
The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three main features:

1. Upside Down House
The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.
They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if necessary as owners age.

2. Concealed Parking Spaces
But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is actually the parking.
In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars, or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.
Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.
A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents, including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.
The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

3. Flexible Spaces
But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs, including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking, as well as a winning, design.
The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.
And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted, there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

4. Where can you get one?
At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”
The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to the economic climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the wait” they say.

According to the article, the SunnySideUp development …